Columbia School of Professional Studies

Columbia University School of Professional Studies
School type	Private
Dean	Jason Wingard
Location	New York, New York, USA
Homepage	http://www.sps.columbia.edu/

The School of Professional Studies at Columbia University offers fourteen master's degrees, courses for advancement and graduate school preparation, certificate programs, summer courses, high school programs in New York and abroad, and a program for learning English as a second language.

Though the offerings are diverse, the programs are unified by a mission to mount innovative instructional programs unavailable elsewhere at the University that meet Columbia’s standard of excellence, take good advantage of its resources, and produce positive educational outcomes for the members of the diverse student body.

History

Since 1995, Columbia’s School of Professional Studies has been administering and developing innovative programs that fill a diversity of student needs.

Originally called the Division of Special Programs, Professional Studies began with several nondegree programs, one overseas program, the Summer Session, Summer High School Programs, the American Language Program, and a few inter-institution arrangements. Over the next five years, the Division expanded steadily, launching a series of new programs aimed at postgraduate students who needed to prepare for graduate school or career advancement and at undergraduates who wanted to study overseas for a semester, year, or over the summer.

In 2002, the University’s Board of Trustees granted final approval for the creation of the School of Continuing Education, the first new school at Columbia in 50 years. With this new status, the School became both a Faculty and a Department of Instruction in the Arts and Sciences, and was granted authority to confer the master of science degree.

Since 2002, the School underwent remarkable growth. Today the School administers fourteen professional master’s degree programs, postbaccalaureate study in over 50 subject areas, the Summer Sessions, the American Language Program, and Summer High School Programs.

Its founding dean, Frank Wolf, presided over the transformation of the division into a degree-granting school, and had put in place eight applied masters programs when he retired from the University in 2006 to become Director of the Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship.

On November 12, 2015, Dean Jason Wingard announced that the School of Continuing Education was officially renamed the School of Professional Studies.

Academic programs

The School of Professional Studies offers the following programs:

Fourteen applied master of science programs offer training in Actuarial Science, Applied Analytics, Bioethics, Communications Practice, Construction Administration, Enterprise Risk Management, Fundraising Management, Information and Knowledge Strategy, Narrative Medicine, Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, Sports Management, Strategic Communications, Sustainability Management, and Technology Management.

The Postbaccalaureate Studies Program offers qualified individuals with bachelor's degrees the opportunity to take University courses for graduate school preparation and career advancement. Advisors help students develop a customized course of study. Certificates are offered in biotechnology; business; classics; critical issues in international relations; ecology, evolution, and environmental biology; executive education in strategic communications; psychology; quantitative studies for finance; and United Nations studies.

The Visiting Students Program allows undergraduate, graduate, and high school students with suitable academic records to study at Columbia on a nondegree basis.

The Summer Sessions offer a wide variety of undergraduate- and graduate-level courses for Columbia students, visiting students, and new and continuing nondegree students.

The High School Programs allow highly motivated students to take intensive noncredit courses for enrichment during the summer. Students may live on campus or commute. The Barcelona Experience is a four-week noncredit study-abroad program for high school juniors and seniors. Culture and History: Understanding the Arab World is a pre-college summer study-abroad program organized in collaboration with King's Academy in Jordan.

The American Language Program offers a wide variety of English language courses to speakers of other languages.

The Auditing Program enables adults not currently enrolled in college to sit in on select lecture courses in the Arts and Sciences. Auditors receive no credit and are silent participants in class. Adults over 65 are offered reduced tuition as part of the Lifelong Learners Program.

External links

• Columbia University School of Professional Studies